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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. root — of a word
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ground — crushed
  11. root — the cause
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bass — low music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com